A New Beginning
by Meralyin
Summary: A different start to Ranger's Apprentice and Will's life! Will is captured by a gang of criminals and forced to work for them,but when they want him to become an assassin, Will escapes and runs into our favorite ranger Halt!(literally) Please read and review! Fun Fact: Did you know that reviews make me write faster? (hint, hint)
1. Chapter 1

The wet dark road snaked through the forest. Rain beat down on it, and it was deserted aside from a single boy treading along it. The boy's shoulders were hunched against the cold of the rain and wind, his head was down as he stumbled through the rain. He was dressed in a grey tunic, and a worn old coat that was several sizes to big and was soaked from the rain. His trousers were dirty and torn and his boots, which were in the best condition of all is clothing, had mud clinging to them.

Will was exhausted. Everything hurt, his head pounded and it was becoming difficult to breath. His hands were numb from the cold and the restricting iron shackles that hug at his wrists.

His chest was constricted, and he felt hollow and weak from the lack of food. His wounds burned with every step, but he had to keep going. He'd been running for three days now, hiding during the day and traveling by night. He was driven only by his fear of being captured again, and receiving the punishment that was due to him.

The cold bit into him as he stumbled on through the rain and wind. making it even harder for him to walk properly.

The road he was following was muddy and wet and the only reason he had chosen it, was that it was bound to lead him to some village. He needed to get some food or he wouldn't survive much longer.

Suddenly he tripped, just barely managing to regain his balance and not fall. He stood there for a moment, uncertain if he should keep going. But he needed rest more than anything right now, he decided.

Making his way off the path, he headed for the woods on the side of the road where he might find some shelter from the rain, and be hidden from the view of anyone who should happen to pass on the road.

Finding a hollow tree farther into the woods, he slumped down and wrapped his thin coat tightly around himself.

His eyes closed in relief, and he forgot all of the painful discomforts in his sore body. His consciousness slipped away, and he succumbed to the blackness that was pulling at him.

* * *

Will woke with a start, groaning at the sunlight that shone on him. He momentarily forgot where he was, and panicked. Had they found him? He breathed a sigh of relief as he remembered the nights escapade.

Forcing his eyes open, he blinked at the sunlight and scanned his surroundings. He was in a thick forest, slightly overgrown. It was around dusk, but the sun was still relatively bright. Cursing himself for sleeping through the entire day, he tried to get up, and immediately regretted it as a sickening wave of nausea swept over him. If he had had any food in his empty stomach, he would have thrown it up.

Steadying himself, he managed to stand while leaning on the tree. He was still dizzy, but he felt much better after resting awhile. Turning toward the direction he remembered the road to be, he limped toward it, his muscles weak and sore from his long travel. Now all he needed was some food. He scanned the road to make sure that there was no one traveling on it, but it was deserted.

Breaking out of the woods, he shielded his eyes and looked down the beaten road. He caught site of something in the distance, and squinted at it, trying to make out what it was. It was a small town behind a patch of trees. He'd find some food there.

Will set off toward the village, while he walked he contemplated the shackles around his wrists. He hadn't been able to remove them after he had escaped and he didn't see how he could decided he'd have to hide them somehow when he entered the village so as to not attract unwanted attention. Of course his current appearance would earn him some attention. But he could fix that as soon as he found some water to clean up with. And speaking of water, his throat was parched. He hadn't noticed this before, but now his throat burned from the lack of water. He forced himself to think of something other than a drink, and set his gaze determinately on the horizon ahead.

Soon he arrived at a worn stone bridge over clear creek. Thanking his lucky stars, if he had any, Will walked farther along the creek until he came to a part of it that was hidden by the trees. Gratefully he slid down the bank, and drank in the cool clear water of the. The relief was instant and refreshing, and he tried to restrain himself from taking large gulps of the cold running water.

After he had drunk his fill, he washed off the dirt and dried blood on his face. The deep gash that marred his forehead looked better so and he covered it with his hair to hide it. Then he took off his worn coat and scrubbed the dirt from it, setting it to dry on the bank. Pulling off his boots he cleaned them of the dirt that clung to them, and then replaced them on his feet. He knew that clean clothes would improve his appearance greatly.

Then he gently removed his grey tunic, leaving his back bare, and exposing the ragged whip scars and dried blood covering it. He used his discarded shirt to clean his wounds, and was relieved to find that they'd healed considerably, and no longer burned quite so forcefully. After he'd finished attending to his wounds, he rinsed his tunic in the water. Will put on his wet but clean tunic and sat down on the bank, waiting for his clothes to dry.


	2. Chapter 2

Soon Wills clothes were only slightly damp, and he donned his coat. Brushing off the remaining dust that was clinging to it. Catching his reflection in the creek, he saw that he had cleaned up nicely, and could, with a little stretch, pass as a farm hand or peasant boy.

But then he caught sight of the shackles on his wrists and sighed. Wrapping the chain dangling between his wrists in his hand, he pulled his coat's sleeves down to hide it and did the same to the iron cuffs. It was no longer visible, and as long as he kept his hands together, it would stay that way.

Setting off once again, he strolled down the road, trying to appear familiar with the surroundings, and soon neared the gates of the village, which where being watched over by two bored guards. Will knew the guards were posted at the gate only as a routine and not really as precaution. As he got closer, he noticed a worn sign above the gates that said "REDMONT", so he was in presumably in Redmont fief.

Knowing he had to appear at home entering through the gate, he strode purposefully through the gate and past the watching guards. They didn't give him a second glance so he kept walking down the street without a backward look. The village was made up of mostly comfortable looking houses and shops that were closely built.

There were still a people around the marketplace, mostly farmers, doing their last minute shopping. Will walked behind a stall that was selling furniture and ducked into an ally. From there he scanned his surroundings, and moved unseen toward a busy bakery with a small crowd in front of it. Good, he wouldn't be noticed helping himself to some bread.

He walked towards it.

Unnoticed by Will, was a group of older boys, all of them big and heavyset. They were also hanging around the stall, waiting for an opportune moment to snatch some sugar cakes. These were the town bullies, and they were known for starting fights in the streets, and dealing with anyone that defied them. Spotting the small, slight boy heading their way, they decided to have some fun.

Will had reached the stall and was waiting mingling with for the right moment, when he was suddenly shoved forcefully from behind and tripped, ramming into the man standing in front of him.

Losing his balance he toppled backwards, not being able to turn and soften his fall with his hands. This was going to hurt. But before he could hit the ground, the man he had hit, turned, and with lightning-quick speed, snatched his arm to steady him. Will's grip on the chain hidden in his sleeve slackened, and it fell out with a jangel, fully exposing the shackels at his wrists.

The man stared at the chain.

Will's eyes widened in horror, he dimly heard laughing and footsteps running away behind him.

The man, who he now noticed was wearing a strange green and grey cloak and a cowl over his head that hid his face in shadow, had not loosened his grip on Will's arm. Panicking Will tried to wrench his arm free, but the grip was vicelike.

Turning smoothly, Will slammed his elbow as hard as he could into the man's stomach, eliciting a grunt of pain and surprise. The iron grip slacken only slightly, but it was enough for Will to wrench his arm free. He took off as as fast as he could, running down the street and behind a corner, not daring to look back and see if he was being followed. He ran past several streets, putting some distance between himself and the man in the cloak.

Finally he could run no more and he hid in a dark ally, slumping down against the side of a house and panting with exhaustion. "That had been close", Will thought, still breathing hard. He needed to get out of this village fast, before the man found him. Still leaning against the wall of the ally as he tried to regain his breath, he tried calm his racing heart.

Suddenly he heard footsteps approaching.

Will froze, listening as they got closer.

But instead of just one pair of footsteps as he'd expected, he counted at least seven. Sure enough seven boys walked out of the dark. The same boys that had pushed him and blown his cover.

"Found the little rat", the biggest one guffawed. Stepping forward in a threatening way.

"Thought he could get away from us", another laughed.

"What do you want?",Will said through clenched teeth.

The one that had spoken first, obviously the leader let out a harsh laugh.

"Why you of course", he said. "What are you doing with those chains on your hands?"

Will said nothing.

"Bet your a runaway fugitive", the older boy snarled. "Then we can get some money if we turn you in", he added.

The boys surrounded him, slowly closing in. Will's eyes darted around,searching for and opening.

"But it wouldn't be fun if we just turned him in, would it Alda", one of the boys cackled, addressing the leader.

Alda said nothing, but he smiled.

A few of the boys produced heavy canes. Will assessed his chances, normally he could have beaten them if a fight with only a little difficulty. But in his weakened state he had no doubt his chance where slim, and of course they were armed, he thought, eyeing there canes. Then he cursed the chains around his hands that would make it even harder for him.

He'd have to to try to break free-

His train of thought was suddenly interrupted as a boy to his left swung his cane down. Will dodged it easily and moved in a fluent uppercut to the boys chin. The boy cried out in pain and fell to the ground. Will turned just in time to escape a blow to his head. He ducked and rolled out of its path and then turned and swept the bigger boys legs out from under him.

But they had him surrounded and before he could stand, he felt the crack of a cane on his back. He doubled over with a cry, the pain made worse for the fact that he had been hit on one of his wounds.

Instantly blows rained down on him from every direction. He was sent sprawling with a kick to his stomach, and heard a sickening crack as a cane collided with his ribs. He knew if he stayed down they'd have no mercy on him.

With a great effort he regained his feet, his side burning with the effort, dodging as many blows as he could, he struck out at the nearest boy, topeling him to the ground. But eventually he was struck down again, and this time he didn't have the stengh to keep fighting.

He tried to shield himself from the endless torrent of blows, but his vision became blurred by tears of pain. He let out a sob of pain as he was struck again.

"Baby's crying ", Alda mocked. "maybe he wants some more", he laughed.

Will was on his hands and knees now, sick from the pain, his head spinning with the nausea that engulfed him.

"Stop", he croaked. His voice barely above a whisper.

"Please, stop."

He didn't think his body could take the pain any longer.

Suddenly the blows stopped. Will had the slightest gleam of hope, that they'd gotten tired of tormenting him.

But instead, he felt himself being dragged to his feet. Someone grabbed his hair and he was slammed jarringly against the wall of the ally. Something cold and thin was pressed to his neck. He opened his eyes to find Alda holding a knife to his throat.

"I've had a thought boys", he said.

"Congratulations", Will muttered, not caring about the consequences.

Alda's face turned red with anger, and he struck the side of Will's face hard. Will's head jerked sideways from the blow, his vision blackening around the edges.

"We don't need to turn in this brat, alive", spat the thug, pressing the knife harder against Will's neck and drawing a thin line of blood. The group snarled and cackled cruelly.

"I'd put that down if I were you", said an even, low voice.

The group turned at the sound, startled by its presence. Will tried to push back all the pain coursing through his body. He slitted his eyes and saw a dark figure standing in the shadows.

It was the man in the strange mottled cloak.


	3. Chapter 3

The man stepped out of the shadows coming into view but strangely seeming to blend into the backround, the gang of boys gasped in fear as they caught sight of the him. Will wondered why they hadn't seen him before? But he also knew that he had developed exellent night vision from all the times he'd had work to do at night.

"Let him go", the man spoke with a comanding air but had not raised his voice.

The gang cowered back in fear. "It's the ranger", the boy holding Will's hair whispered.

"Who are you", Alda blustered, trying to suppress his fear.

"That is of none of your concern", the man said cooly."Now, I'm not in habit of repeating myself, so let him go", he said again.

The gang wavered, but Alda stayed firm."Don't listen to him",he snarled. "We're all bigger than him anyways, ranger or not", he spoke foolishly. This was true, the man was small of stature and slim of build, but he carried himself with a confidence that only comes with years of experience. Will noticed the dangerous gleam in the ranger's eyes. This man might be smaller of stature, but he had no doubt that the ranger would be able to dispatch of the gang with ease.

Suddenly the man moved seeming to glide across the ground, covering the distance between himself and Alda in one swift movement. Alda had no time to react before his knife was knocked out of his grip, and he was sent sprawling in a heap in the ground, blood pouring from his nose. Alda wailed pitifully, but the man ignored him and turned to the boy still holding Will's hair. The ranger seized the boy's arm in a painful iron-like grip. The boy looked scared but didn't release Will.

"You can make this easy, or you can make it harder for yourself", the Ranger said threateningly, tightening his grip on the boy's arm. The boy whimpered, dropping his hold on Will's hair.

Will slid to the cold stones of the ground with a groan of pain, not able to support himself. He was barely conscious with exhaustion and pain, and the edges of his vision were darkening. The ranger turned to the group of bullies,who were cowering away while trying to help their still wailing leader.

"If I ever see you again, I'll make sure your afraid to sleep in your beds at night", he growled, showing them only a glimpse of his anger.

This was enough for the gang, and they dispersed quickly, dragging their pitiful excuse for a leader away. The dark alley was left deserted, but for the Ranger and the injured boy slumped against the wall. The ranger knelt next to Will, looking into his bleary, half-closed eyes.

"It's alright", he said, sliding a calloused hand behind Will's head.

He lifted Will into a bridal carry with ease, shielding the broken boy's body from the cold chill in the air. "Your safe now", he said softly.

Will's eyes closed and before he drifted away into unconsciousness, he felt himself being carried by strong arms and enveloped in the warm folds of the mans cloak.

* * *

Halt gently carried the injured boy through the village, trying not to jostle him and cause him more pain. He decided he would not take him to an infirmary, as people were likely to ask questions about the boy's condition and why his hands were chained.

Of course, Halt himself did not have the answers to any of those questions. The boy looked half starved and there was blood soaking the back of his shirt. Halt didn't think the blood had come from just the beating the gang of thugs had given him. The boy had probably been wounded earlier and his wounds had opened up again. Halt decided he'd take the boy to his cabin and care for him there, and then find out the answers to his questions later.

Reaching the edge of the village, Halt let out a piercing whistle, and after a little while a shaggy grey pony trotted out of the forest. Halt placed the boy carefully on the pony, and then mounted himself, holding the boy against his chest. The boy's breaths were becoming shallower and Halt held him so that his airway was cleared. Sqeezing the horses sides with his heels, Halt signaled it to move foreward and it trotted away towards the cabin.

Reaching the cabin, Halt dismounted and carried the boy inside, setting him on the bed in the smaller of the two rooms in the cabin. Halt first reach for his saxe knife, and used it to pry open one of the links in the chain binding the boy's wrists. By doing this he was able to remove the shackles completely, freeing the boy's raw wrists.

He'd no doubt be more comfortable this way and it would make it easier for halt to clean his wounds. Carefully removing the boy's coat and tunic, Halt surveyed the damage to his front.

The boy's chest was bruised and Halt guessed he had a few cracked ribs. His forehead was marred by a large gash.

Turning the boy over gently onto his stomach, Halt suppressed a gasp as he caught sight of the boy's back. It was covered in blood and long thin whip lashes. Halt cursed under his breath as he surveyed the injuries.

Useing a damp cloth, he cleaned the wounds thoroughly and then wound a bandage around the boy's whole torso to keep the wounds clean, and to prevent the cracked ribs from moving. He also bandaged the gash on his head, and cleaned the boys bruised face of blood.

Then he adjusted the boy's position so he'd be able to breath better, and covered him with a blanket ,Halt surveyed his work with satisfaction, and then went to change his own shirt which was covered with the boy's blood.


	4. Chapter 4

**Well here it is finally, a new chapter! Thank you to everybody who reviewed! I ALWAYS love reviews! And sometimes, they make me write faster...(hint,hint) Feel free to suggest ideas!**

Will slowly drifted back into consciousness, unable to stop himself from waking and leaving the comfortable warmth that surrounded him. Then his mind kicked in.

When was the last time he'd been warm and comfortable? And why was he now?

Suddenly, the nights events came flooding back to him.

He opened his eyes, and sat up with a start, but immediatley gasped and slammed his eyes shut again, as a sharp stab of pain ran through him.

A strong pair of hands gently but firmly pushed him back down." Easy now", he heard a deep voice say.

Will opened his eyes again to see a bleary figure standing over him. "Where?",he said in a hoarse whisper. His throat was parched and sore desperate for moisture.

"Don't try to get up". Will heard the gruff voice say."Your not well enough yet".

Will blinked to clear his vision, and saw the figure warp into the man that had saved him. For the first time, Will had a chance to see the Ranger's features, as his face was not covered by his cowl and he wasn't wearing the mottled cloak. The man had an unkempt short beard, and his choppy, black hair was flecked with grey. He had a strong angled jaw, and his skin was well tanned. But his most prominent features were his calculating, deep grey eyes that were at the moment studying him. If the man was not frowning so much, he might have been handsome.

He watched the man warily through weary eyes, as he turned and fetched a cup, which he then held to Will's cracked lips.

"Drink", he commanded.

Will obeyed, resisting the urge to take large gulps of the refreshing cold water, and sipping it slowly instead. The Ranger watched with a glint approval until Will had had enough.

"Where-" Will said again, but was cut off.

"On a bed", the man replied tersely.

Will looked in surprise at the soft surface he lay on, and realised he _was_ on a bed. The last time he'd slept in a bed was-

He couldn't remember. His head ached, and his chest felt like it was being crushed by an enormous weight.

His gaze returned to the man again, and he said hoarsely,"Who are you?"

He was genuinely interested in the man's identity, but was also trying to distract him as he tried to get his wrap his sluggish mind around what had happened and where he was. The Ranger sat down on a chair next to the bed and crossed his arms.

"Some call me Halt", he said shortly.

Will's hazey eyes surveyed the room he was in with interest, looking for any chance he might escape. It was a small room sparsely furnished and simple, the walls were made of wood, and it looked like it hadn't been used in a while. There was a window on the far side of the room, through which he could see the sun shining through dark trees. The door on the opposite wall was slightly open, though he could not see through it. Will guessed this was a spare room, and he was probably in some kind of cabin.

Will's head was starting to spin and his heart beat rapidly as he realized he was trapped and he had no chance of He shifted his gaze defeatedly back to the Ranger, Halt, who was watching him with interest.

"What's your name?" Halt asked, not unkindly

Will looked warily at him, his expression guarded. Finally he replied.

"Will", he said simply. Not bothering to hide the weariness in his tone.

His head pounded, and he briefly closed his eyes to try to relieve the pain. He heard a shifting noise, and opened his eyes to see the man get up and retrieve a small bundle of herbs from a nearby table. The ranger held them out for Will and said "Put these under your tongue until they've melted." "It will help relieve the pain."

Will took the drug and did as he was instructed. He noticed for the first time that his hands were no longer bound by the heavy pair of shackles, he stared at his wrists in confusion, not remembering being able to remove them himself. He realized the Ranger must have taken them off after Will had lost consciousness. Will looked up at Halt, his vision starting to spin and blur around the edges as the effects of the drug he'd been given started to make him sleepy.

"You should rest now",Halt said as he sat down again on the chair beside the bed.

Sleep begged Will for attention, but he struggled to stay awake for a little more.

"Thank you." Will slurred, and before his eyes slipped closed, he caught the surprised look on the grim Ranger's face. Then sleep finally overtook him.

* * *

Halt watched the boy, Will, close his deep brown eyes, and fall into unconsciousness as his breaths slowed.

Halt found himself trying to figure out the boy. Physically there was nothing very unusual about him,he looked to be around fifteen, but was slim of build, and was shorter than average for his age. He was small and slight but he had lean muscle and wiry strength. His face had a slightly elfish look, and he had a straight nose and a mop of unruly, thick brown hair. He would have been considered handsome, that is, if he was not currently bruised around one eye, had a blood soaked bandage wrapped around his head, and didn't look half dead from starvation. The boy had slept for a whole day and a half and he was in desperate need of food.

But what made Halt interested in him besides the obvious inquiries of his predicament, was the hard determination in his eyes, and the trained awareness Halt had seen when the boy had observed the room. The boy should have been extremely disorientated when he'd woken and probably wouldn't have been able to concentrate on his surroundings with his head pounding and breaths coming in ragged gasps. But the boy had seemed to posses a calmness and concentration, that impressed Halt.

Halt wondered where the boy had come from and why he was so badly injured and in need of nutrition. He sighed, knowing he'd have to wait for the answers to his questions until the boy woke again. Halt strode silently toward the kitchen to get a much needed cup of coffee, leaving the mysterious boy to sleep undisturbed.

 **Hope you liked it! It might take me some time to update because I've started school, but again I really, really LOVE reviews! Until next time, this is "Katy Fairfax"!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Hi everyone! I am so, so, sorry for the painfully long wait all of you had to endure for this chapter! I am truly sorry, but i hope it was worth it. I sort of lost inspiration for quite a long time and if this isn't my best chapter I will definitely be revising it. Hope you all like this!**

Will woke to a dull ache in his side. His eyes opened and he found himself staring at a wooden ceiling. He was instantley enveloped in a swirl of confusion as his tried to recall where he was. His breathing quickened as he recalled the dark eyed Ranger, and he fought to hold back the the wave of panic that was swelling in his chest. He looked about the room he was in and he found that he was alone.

He used his hands to slowly ease himself into a sitting position, recalling what had happened when hed woken the first time and tried to sit up. He felt overwhelmingly weak as he supported himself with his hands. He guessed this was a result of not having eaten for days. He realized he didnt know how many days had passed since that night in the alley.

Looking down at himself he saw that his tunic was missing and that his whole torso was wrapped in a large piece of thick white linen. His whole side ached unbearably and he guessed he'd broken some ribs.

Not able to support himself with his weak arms any longer, he fell back onto the soft, supporting pillows at his back. He closed his eyes for a breaf second, despair overwhelming him. He was to weak to stand much less walk, his whole body felt like it had been thrown down a cliff, twice, and he had no idea what he would tell the ranger when he was asked the ineviable questions.

He opened his eyes again to see to his astonishmemt, the door silently swinging open and the Ranger himself standidng there with a plate in his hand.

"Thought you might be hungry", he said in his now familiar deep voice.

Will stared at the plate of food, not knowing if he had just heard correctly. Ot had been so long since he'd eaten a proper meal. The Ranger walked to the chair and set the plate of food down on it.

Will tried to keep his eyes off the plate, and looked at the Ranger instead, but his mind was still on the food and he could actually smell it now. The deliscious aroma, wafted all around him, irrisistable and all consuming.

The Ranger watched him with a deadpan expression on his completely grim face. He handed Will the plate of delicious warm stew.

Will stared at the Ranger. He had half expected this to be a dream or for the Ranger to have bribed some information out of him before giving him the food.

The Ranger continued to look at him impassively. Will hesitantley looked down at the food, half wondering if it was poisoned. But then the still rational side of him took control of his weary mind. Of course it wasn't poisoned, why would the Ranger go through the trouble of saving him and bandaging his wounds, and then just kill him.

Will lifted a spoonful of the delicious stew to his lips and savoring the aroma radiating off of it. He took a mouthful and tried to stop himself from swallowing the food down instantly. The urge to shovel the food into his mouth was almost irresistable, but he knew his stomach wouldn't be able to handle it all at once, so he ate as slowly as he could.

Completely engrossed in his meal, Will momentarily forgot the Ranger watching him from the chair next to his bed. Halfway through the bowl of stew, he looked up to meet the Rangers calculating eyes. The look on the Rangers face was as straight as ever, but Will thought he saw a spark of amusement in the eyes.

Will finished his meal more slowly, looking up warily at the ranger again. Halt stood tking the bowl from Will's hand and setting it on the table next to the bed. Will looked at the man with a mixture of emotions in his eyes.

Will spoke softly," Thank you."

The man acknowledged the statement with the slightest tilt of his head. Then he spoke.

"You must have been hungry", he said gruffly.

Will didn't say anything, the look on his face betraying his dread. Halt look at him in a considering way.

"Will" he said weighing his words.

"What were you doing in town two days ago?" he asked.

Will looked slightly surprised that Halt hadnt gotten straight to the point. He tried to think of a sutable answer, but then his reasoning cut in and he realized lying would not ease the situation.

"I was looking for food", he said hesitantly.

Halt appraised him carefully, before asking his next question.

"And why did you come here?" he asked slowly.

Will tried to think of an explanation, anything that would possibly pass as plausible circumstance. But nothing came to him as he tried to keep the desperation he was feeling, from showing.

"I...was running away from someone...", Will said letting the sentence hang.

Halt looked at him, having expected something like this. When Will didn't elaborate on his statement, Halt asked another question to promt him into speaking.

"And who were you running from?" Halt said.

Will didn't know what to say to that. If he gave the name of the gang leader it wouldn't be very good for him if he was found. But then again he had already been caught by the Ranger and could probably go to prison. Will had no idea how to respond to the question.

Halt looked at the boy who looked completely cornered his eyes full of guarded emotions.

"Did the person you are running from put the chains on your hands?" Halt spoke.

"Yes", Will said his voice not betraying the fear he felt coursing through him.

Halt felt himself being intrigued by the boy.

"Why did you run away from me in the village?" Halt said looking for a reaction.

"I... I didn't want to be caught" Will said trying to avoid answering the real question.

But Halt stared him down and Will finally felt he couldn't take this anymore.

"I am the person who took the national documents from castle Araluen." he said softly, looking up to meet the Ranger's gaze with feeling of weariness.

 **Dun Dun duuuuun! Pretty shabby chapter, but I'll go back and revise and make it better. I'm thinking of adding a prologue just to further explain Will's evolvement with the theft of the documents.**

 **Don't quite have all the details sorted out but hopefully I'll have inspiration soon!**

 **Thank you all for being patient during my period of no-inspiration-whatsoever, but it might take a while for the next chapter thanks to school. -Katy Fairfax**


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